Remove the Man From His Misery
by ocard99
Summary: Picks up right where the book ends. Burns seems a little too interested in Wanda, who of course has no idea. How will Ian respond? What does Melanie have to say about all this? And what on earth is Burns hiding from the rest of the humans? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything from _The Host_… Just saying it makes my heart cry.

This is definitely a one-shot, but I could make it longer…just saying. This pretty much picks up right where the book stopped. This is my first fic. If you don't like, don't review. If you happen to read it and decided that you actually like my first attempt and writing, then please, leave some love. Self-esteem boosters and motivation are appreciated :]

Enjoy!

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_I stepped out from around Ian, ignoring his muttered warning, abruptly comfortable and sure. _

_I liked the way Burns had phrased it. 'Gone native'._

_Burns stopped in front of me, lowering his hand a bit to compensate for the considerable difference in our heights. I took his hand-it was hard and callused next to my delicate skin- and shook it._

"_Burns Living Flowers," he introduced himself._

_My eyes widened at his name. Fire World- how unexpected._

"_Wanderer," I told him._

"_It's…extraordinary to meet you, Wanderer. And here I thought I was one of a kind."_

"_Not even close," I said, thinking of Sunny back in the caves. Perhaps we were none of us as rare as we thought. _

_He raised his eyebrow at my answer, intrigued._

"_Is that so?" he said. "Well, maybe there's some hope for this planet, after all."_

"_It's a strange world," I murmured, more to myself than to the other native soul._

"_The strangest," he agreed._

"So what changed your mind?" I asked him calmly.

As Burns opened his mouth to reply, a slight waft of hot, desert air passed between the two groups.

As Burns reached out to brush a stray tendril of hair off my face, I suddenly realized the way Burns was staring at me with an intense look in his eye. His hand was poised just inches from my face, his fingers stretched to move the hair from my cheek. His eyes, so similar to mine, were closer to me than I remembered, and when he finally moved the tendril, his thumb caressed the side of my cheek.

I heard Ian distinctly clear his throat. I quickly turned to inquire what was wrong, but the look on his face stopped me. He was staring not at me, but at Burns. His expression could only be described, in Melanie's words, as pissed off, and I quickly turned back to Burns, wondering what on earth he could have done to upset Ian to the point of anger. I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. Burns was looking at Ian with a slight smirk on his face, as if he had done something he knew was wrong but had enjoyed doing it. I looked back and forth between the two, and watched as Burns expression slowly turned into one identical to Ian's. Human emotions were so unpredictable, I couldn't possibly guess what had set off the two men. I looked at Mel for some form of guidance, but all she did was roll her eyes and shake her head.

Jared's voice cut the tension like a knife. "Well, if you two adult men are done staring at each other, we have business to discuss."

I walked back to Ian, giving him a quizzical expression. He just kept his death glare aimed directly at Burns while snaking his arms protectively around my waist. I leaned back into him simply for the joy of feeling his presence, and he eventually relaxed as well, his sigh caressing my head like an embrace.

"Where did your group come from?"Melanie asked. "Where are the other groups located?"

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When we returned home later that night, I noticed Ian was being exceptionally quiet. All the other residents of our small, cave family were awed and amazed at the mere thought of more human survival cells located elsewhere, and I could understand their excitement. This was the first real ray of hope they had received in the years since my species' invasion; I smiled seeing Jamie relate our tale to Freedom and her brother with wild hand gestures and loud exclamations. Nate's group and moved on to their hideout after we had parted with the promise of meeting later in the week. I turned my head to find Ian regarding me intently. I smiled at him, once again completely encompassed by the feelings of content and happiness I felt whenever I was close to him. It still took my breath away every time I was hit by the love I felt for this man.

He didn't smile back. My smile turned into a frown, and his fingers came up to my forehead as if to erase the wrinkles.

"What's wrong? You've been so subdued since we returned." I paused waiting for a reply, but received none. He was still looking at me, seemingly trying to study every pore on my face. I just kept talking. "We still have to go out to tomorrow again, since our attempt at a raid failed." The smile was again back on my face. "Isn't it so exciting to find another human cell? There really _is_ hope for this planet, after all," I said, quoting Burns from earlier.

Ian's mouth turned into a scowl, and he abruptly stood. "I'm going to turn in. We have a full day tomorrow." He quickly kissed the top of my head and stalked out of the room.

I stared after him, slightly hurt by his curtness. What could possibly be bothering him?

"That's jealousy for you," came a familiar voice from behind me.

"What do you mean, Mel? What does he possibly have to be jealous of?" I asked.

"Oh Wanda, you really are blind sometimes. Did you not see the way Burns was looking at you? In his eyes, you're the first one of his kind he's ever met. Of course he would feel attracted to you instantly. Or did you just not notice he was standing mere inches from your face?"

I balked. "What! That's ridiculous! I love Ian, and am in no way remotely attracted to Burns. How could Ian possibly be jealous over something as completely absurd as that?"

"Think about it logically Wanda. You and Burns are two peas in a spaceship pod. Both of you help your human families, you're both kind, loving to a fault, loyal, have saved human lives on countless occasions, have seen numerous worlds, are a soul residing within a human host..." She paused to take a breath. I cut her off.

"But none of that matters. He's not Ian," I stated, as if that were the obvious answer. And really, for me, it was.

"And Ian knows you love him, but look at it through his eyes. Realistically speaking, two beings usually stay in the same species. It was clear Burns was attracted to you. All throughout our questioning and conversation with Nate's group, he was looking at you, trying to make eye contact. Why do you think Ian was literally clinging to you the entire time? He wanted to make it clear you belong to him, and no one else."

I thought about Mel's words, trying to decide if they had any basis in truth. For my part, I was paying attention to Nate's group with interest. However, my mind was also on more important things, like how amazing it felt the way Ian was rubbing tiny, burning circles along my lower back, and how he would occasionally move to my hip. If Burns was trying to make eye contact for the three hours we were with Nate's group, he had no chance. My mind was comfortably and happily occupied elsewhere.

Mel was still talking. "And think about when we said good bye. Burns hugged you instead of shaking hands like he had with everyone else, and when he didn't let you go, Ian had to practically drag you away from him."

I had thought Ian had only wanted to get home to tell the others about our new discovery.

"How could Ian possibly doubt my love for him? I wasn't even aware of Burns' attention, let alone attracted to him."

"You're never aware of anything," Mel grumbled. I gave her a look. She shrugged.

"Just remove the man from his misery and go to him," Melanie said with a sigh.

"Men," I muttered as I got up from the table.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Mel replied with a smile.

As I made my way through the cave to mine and Ian's room, I contemplated Mel's words. How could Ian possibly even think I would be attracted to Burns. He didn't have Ian's smile, or that compassionate look in his eye. He didn't make me melt with a single look, or giggle over the tiniest remarks, or tingle wherever his hand touched my skin. When I finally reached our door, I took a deep breath and crossed over the threshold.

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I found Ian reclining on our bed, legs crossed at the ankle in front of him, his left arm acting as a pillow for his head. He had obviously decided a shirt was unnecessary, for he was only wearing his low riding jeans and socks. He didn't look my way as I entered.

Fine, if he wasn't going to look at me, I would have to make it so he had no other choice. I walked over to the bed and promptly straddled his lap, hooking my legs around his torso.

This got his attention. His head immediately snapped to face me. I met his gaze with a determined look of my own. He looked at me with intense eyes, a fire already beginning to build in their depths. My mind was momentarily distracted from my original goal as Ian and I stared at each other. My heart was already racing, and I was so flushed I could almost feel the blood pumping through my body. His hand reached up to caress the side of my face, and I leaned into his hand, momentarily closing my eyes. The electricity between us was palpable; it was a wonder the entire room didn't turn all hazy by the energy created between the two of us.

Honestly, how could Burns or anyone else even hope to compare with this?

"I love you," I said in barely a whisper, his face merely centimeters from my own. He brought his other hand up to frame my face with his fingers. My fingertips slowly slid their way up his bare torso, and I could feel the goose bumps beginning to form along his skin. My hands stopped when they reached his shoulders.

"I love you, too," Ian said, his voice husky with emotion. He kissed me then. As his lips met mine, I shuddered. I instantly opened my mouth for him, and his tongue plunged into my mouth with a groan. His fingers slipped into my hair, capturing my mouth where it was.

Like I was going to try to move.

My hands explored his stomach, his arms, then traveled to his hair, messaging his head as our mouths continued to explore each other. I pushed myself closer so I could feel the heat of his body through my thin cotton shirt. I wanted to show him that he completed who I am, he showed me what it meant to feel human, how he made me feel loved and cherished whenever he looked at me. Soon I couldn't tell where one kiss began and the other one started, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the taste of Ian's mouth, the feel of his fingers against my skin, and the shudders of pleasure I felt whenever his tongue passed over a particularly sensitive spot. With every kiss we shared, I wanted to further cement our love for each other, and prove to him no other being in any other universe could possibly come close to how much Ian meant to me.

When our mouths finally broke about, we were both out of breath. He rested his forehead on mine.

"Ian," I began.

"I'm sorry, Wanda," he said before I could even begin. "I know you never noticed anything and I'm completely unjustified in my actions, but you should have seen the way Burns was looking at you. It looked like he wanted to devour you, like you were a piece of meat, or something."

I just sat on his lap, slowly stroking his hair, letting him explain.

"And then when he looked at me, the reflection of his eyes caught in the light, and I realized you and him are so similar. You're from the same species, you share a similar story, he's everything I want to be for you, but can't."

"Ian," I said again. "I wouldn't care if he was the last of my species in all the galaxies and it was the last chance for our survival to be with him. He is not YOU."

He didn't seem convinced. I kissed him again. His eyes were still closed when I broke away a few moments later.

"Ok?" I further questioned him.

"Yeah, hmmhmm," Ian mumbled as he kissed me again.

I giggled. "Ian, we're trying to talk about something important. You can't keep distractin-."

"Yeah, hmmhmm." He slowly lowered me down onto my back, kissing me the whole way.

Something told me we would not be doing much talking until tomorrow morning.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

So, I've decided to continue this story. I literally have the whole thing mapped out in my head, it's just waiting to get from my mind to the computer to all of you beautiful, amazing people.

I'm going to warn you right now, updates will be few and far between (I'm in college, cut me _some_ slack lol). Plus, with the holiday season rapidly approaching, combined with midterms, papers and finals, there will be even less time to write :[

HOWEVER, I am dedicated to this story, and it will be completed eventually!

But anyways, I know this chapter is shorter, and not a lot happens, and it leaves off with a not-so-amazing cliffhanger, but please bare with me! I'll probably be writing more than I'm posting, just because I tend to mull over things for a while before I feel it's ready to be shared…

**Kimmitwilight, RawSugarX23, Brisa, and whoever else took the time out of their lives to read this fic, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! I'm honestly finishing this fic for you guys, so yeah you! :D**

Peace, love and happiness to all!

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When I woke up, I was alone. I turned all the way over, looking for Ian, but found nothing. When the morning fog surrounding my brain finally began to clear, I heard hushed voices coming from outside our door. After a few seconds of listening, I immediately recognized Ian's and Jared's voices. What made me frown was it was obvious Ian was not in a good mood. He was down- right agitated.

"He's not coming with us and that's final," Ian attempted to say in a hushed voice.

"Great. I'll let you try explaining that to Jeb when he starts asking 'Who threw the native out?'"

"Jared, we don't know him, we can't trust him. It's simple logic. What time did he even show up?"

"A few minutes after you sulked out of the dining room last night. He came in right after Wanda left to find you. She was actually the first one he asked to talk to, but Mel-"

"Of course he did," Ian said. Now his voice level was at regular volume, so I had no trouble discerning the anger the in his words. I had a sinking feeling I knew who they were talking about. It was time to make my presence known.

"Why don't you be a man and confront him yourself. He's in the kitchen."

Although I was on the other side of the screen, I could literally hear Ian's teeth grating.

"He's here?"

"Good morning," I called cheerfully as I moved the screen aside. Before me stood Jared and Ian, both looking little startled. "You shouldn't talk so loudly. You're lucky I'm the only one who woke up."

"No you aren't," came the disgruntled sound of Mel's voice from down the hall.

"Sorry, honey," Jared called. All we heard was Mel grumbling.

I smiled. Mel never was a morning person, even when we shared the same body.

As Jared turned to make his way down to his and Mel's room, Ian gave me a tight smile and a mumbled "Good morning." It was disheartening to see him this upset so early. I closed the short distance between us and slowly wound my arms around his neck. I could feel the tension slowly leave his body as he wound his arms around my waist.

"Good morning to you too," I murmured against his lips before giving him a light kiss. When I slowly backed away, Ian followed, and I smiled before he claimed my mouth in a much more effective manner.

When we eventually broke apart, I took the opportunity to ask him what the problem was.

"It's Burns Living Flowers," Ian admitted. "He apparently came here last night, asking if he could join our raid party today. His logic is two native souls are better than one."

I thought about it. Logically, it did make more sense. We could get twice the amount of supplies in half the time. However, one look at Ian's expression told me to not say otherwise. Although I may agree with Burns, Ian was my first priority.

"What did Jeb have to say about Burn's request?" I asked.

"Of course the old coot is all for it. He thinks it a great idea and inspires inter-human relations. To start building bonds amongst us survivors. In reality, we just met these people yesterday, and I don't feel entirely comfortable putting my life into the hands of total strangers."

"We'll talk to him later, I promise," I said. "For now, let's go get some breakfast." Ian finally conceded as I dragged him down the hallway.

Once we reached our destination, Ian stopped abruptly in the doorway, and I almost groaned. Standing before us was Burns Living Flowers, speaking amicably with Lily. Upon closer inspection, the woman looked happier than she had in a while. Ever since Wes was killed by the Seeker, she had been almost a shell of herself, doing chores and speaking only when spoken to. It was good to see her smile, even though her eyes still seemed haunted by her loss.

When I looked up at Ian, I could tell it was going to be a long day. He was glaring at Burns, as if willing him to suddenly disappear from the cave altogether. I squeezed his hand, trying to remind him to behave himself. When he looked back at me, he had that special smile on his face, and I couldn't help but smile back. Given his mood from only moments ago, it must have taken a lot for him to look unaffected. The fact that I knew he was doing it for my benefit only made me love him more. He kissed me quickly on the forehead before walking off to go get food.

"Wanda!" I turned at the sound of my name. Burns was smiling at me, gesturing to a seat beside him. "I saved you a seat."

"Thank you, Burns," I said politely. "Just wait until I get me food and then I'll be right over."

When I walked over to the counter to pick up our breakfast of oatmeal and bread with honey, Ian was talking with Judy behind the counter.

"Yes, we're leaving later tonight," Ian was saying. "It will be a long one, since we haven't been out in quite some time."

Judy looked thoughtful. "Yes," she said, "but the raid won't be as long this time because of Burn's presence. Two helpful souls are better than one," she said, smiling in my direction. I quickly glanced up to Ian's face, hoping I wouldn't see the same irritation from earlier. Although there was a definite set to his mouth, his anger seemed to have dissipated slightly.

"Doesn't he have to get back to his group soon, though?" Ian inquired. "It seemed to me like he is a major contributor to their livelihood. He was their Wanda." When he said my name he looked at me, his expression softened ever so slightly. I slipped my hand into his while smiling slightly at him.

"Oh, to be young and in love," Judy sighed wistfully. As we both turned back to look at her I giggled. I wasn't exactly young, but Ian always made me feel like the most beautiful person in the world.

" And Ian," she continued, "I don't know what's happening with Burns. He seems to get along well with everyone in the community, besides maybe Maggie and Sharon, of course. As a matter of fact, he asked me earlier if I knew where Jeb was. He wanted to speak with him in private."

"Thanks Judy," I said. "I'll speak with you later before we leave for the raid."

As Ian and I walked together back towards the tables, Ian had that same set to his mouth again. Before we reached the spot where Burns was waiting for us, I stopped Ian with a gentle touch on his arm.

"I love you, you know that right?"

His gave softened again. "And I you," he said, kissing me softly on the forehead.

I smiled. "Ok, just as long as you remember that, then we won't have any problems."

It wasn't until that night when we departed our home for the raid that I realized my statement would not always be true.


	3. Chapter 3

The characters do not belong to me. Sadly.

I couldn't recall the last time I was this irritated. If Burns Living Flowers so much as looked at Wanda like that one more time, I was going to jump into the front seat and physically remove him from the driver's seat. Not even a day into the raid and they already had more in common than two peas in a pod. They had both lived on the Singing World and the Flower World, giving them already two lifetimes to talk about.

The sound of Wanda's laughter, usually music to my ears, only made me want to punch Burns in the face. Only _I_ was supposed to make her laugh like that. No one else. We'd known him for less than two days and already they were best friends. Joy.

He wasn't even supposed to be driving. I was supposed to be driving. I still didn't understand how I had lost that particular argument, but regardless, _he_ was driving and laughing with _my_ Wanda in the front seat, and that was _not_ ok.

Melanie nudged me from her position to my left.

"You know, if you glare any harder at Burns Living Douche Bag, I'm pretty certain you'll start to lose some brain cells."

I glanced to the front to see if Wanda or Burns had heard, but it was clear they hadn't. They were still reminiscing about the Singing World. Stupid bat aliens.

I had to at least smirk at her nickname. If all else failed, at least I knew Mel didn't like him. That had to count for something. Wanda was closer to Mel than any other person in the caves (except me) and I knew she highly respected her former host's opinion. If I couldn't talk sense into Wanda, then Melanie certainly could.

I let my eyes wander back to the front seat and almost lunged forward. Burns had his eyes off the road and was currently brushing a piece of hair off Wanda's face! Again!

I was half way out of my chair before Jared grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back down to a seated position.

"Easy, Ian," was all he said. Yeah, sure, I'll take it easy...when Burns Living Flowers pulled over, got out of the car and slithered back to whatever hole Nate's group lived in.

Thankfully, Melanie came to my rescue.

With a restraining had on my shoulder she asked, "Wanda, do you think I could sit in the front while you drive? My back is starting to kill me."

Wanda immediately turned to face the back, concern etched into her forehead. "Oh no! Of course you can come to the front. In fact, Burns and I should both move back there to give you and someone else a break from being cramped."

"I fully agree," Burns said. Yeah, I bet he fully agreed.

"No no no Wanda, I want it to just be you and me up there. I'm tired of sitting next to men. Besides, we haven't talked in ages."

"I wouldn't mind switching places with you, Melanie," Burns offered. "We have been on the road for almost six hours, after all." Wanda beamed at the other soul, as if giving up his seat was the best thing she'd heard since we'd discovered the cure for cancer. As Burns pulled over to the side of the road, I mumbled a 'Thank you' to Melanie under my breath.

"Don't thank me too fast," she replied as Burns got out of the front seat. "Now you're stuck with him back here."

Dammit, she was right. As we all played musical chairs trying to let Melanie out, my mind wandered back to our caves, and the hours leading up to this mess began to replay in my mind.

* * *

"_Jeb, I just don't think it's a good idea to have him go with us." How come I was the only one who saw the stupidity of this situation?_

"_Well I think it's a great idea. We've never had a _male_ alien live with us before," was the old man's reply. _

_I heaved a sigh. I couldn't be the only one who was against this. But when I expressed this idea to Jeb, he quickly shot it down._

"_Well, of course Maggie and Sharon are opposed to it, but what aren't they against. No one else has had any complaints so far about Burns being here. Andy and Brandt are actually excited to have him come along." He scratched the back of his head. "I kind of thought you'd be one of the main supporters."_

_Definitely had that wrong. "And why is that?"_

"_I thought having another 'native' soul here would be good for Wanda. Let her see that she isn't the only one of her species to break away from the norm."_

_As much as I hated to admit it, he did have a point. I knew Wanda still felt like she had betrayed her entire species by telling us her secret, no matter how many times I tried to convince her it was far from the truth. _

_I was just failing to see how Burns' presence on the raid was going to convince her otherwise._

"_Jeb," I tried reasoning, "We don't even know him. We don't even know these other people."_

"_They're human. That's all we need to know." _

_I looked at him skeptically._

_His eyes hardened. "We are bonded by the devastation of the human race. Every single one of us lost a loved one. We all saw the worms slowly seep into the lives of our families and the fabric of society. Ian, think of it. Don't you see the benefits of having Wanda and Burns working together? Our two groups can be bonded and brought together by the very beings who separated us." _

_I stared at him for a few seconds. "That sounded almost insightful, Jeb."_

"_Shut your trap, I can be deep and downright meaningful if I want to be."_

_I sighed heavily. "Is there anything I can say to make you change your mind about Burns coming with us?"_

"_Sorry kid. My house, my rules."_

_I clenched and unclenched my jaw. By the determined glint in Jeb's eye, I knew he could not be swayed from his decision._

"_We'll be leaving in a few hours," I told him curtly._

"_Good luck."_

_I waved behind me as I stalked out of his room._

_As I rounded the corner of the hallway, I ran into something small and soft. I heard a muffled 'umph' and immediately knew who it was. _

_Before Wanda could fall and hit the floor, I had caught her easily around the waist. When I looked down and was able to see her face, the dim hallway suddenly became brighter. My bad mood from only seconds earlier instantly decreased a few notches._

"_Ian!" she exclaimed brightly. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you."_

_Before answering, I paused to look at her. The shadows of the cave danced across her face, outlining the delicateness of her features. I couldn't help but trace her cheek with the back of my hand. Her smile made her eyes soften. Looking into her eyes, I could see the silvery glow emanating from within their depths. I always thought her love for life shone through her eyes. I could stare into them forever._

_After a few seconds I asked. "What did you want to tell me?"_

_She cleared her throat. "Umm…"_

_I smiled. Her eyes immediately darted to my mouth then back to my eyes._

_She quickly cleared her throat. "I actually wanted to talk to you about where we're going for the raid." She immediately seemed more nervous. " I know we had originally planned to go to north, but Burns suggested we go to the east. Apparently he, Nate and few others went there a few years ago, so he knows where it's safe to stop and where Seekers are most likely to be."_

_And just like that, we were back to my favorite subject: Burns freaking Living Flowers. Could I at least go thirty seconds without hearing about how great he was? What a horrible name; definitely not the type of name to inspire affection, in my opinion. And seriously, who did this guy think he was? After a few hours he succeeded on getting on Jeb's good side, charmed everyone in the caves, and now he thought he could change our raid plans?_

_I don't think so._

_I looked at the woman still supported in my arms. "I thought you wanted to go north?"_

_She paused. A small frown began to appear on her forehead. "If it's in everyone's best interests, we should go the safest route."_

_I internally groaned. Of course she would think about everyone else's feelings before her own. In all honesty, I wanted to show Wanda the Northern United States. This trip held more meaning for me than just simply going and getting supplies. _

_Kyle and I had grown up in Colorado, which we had planned on passing through on way back to Arizona. She and I usually didn't talk about my past, for obvious reasons. It was usually too painful for me to remember and I knew she somehow felt responsible for everyone's sorrow and loss, even though it certainly wasn't her fault her species decided to invade earth. _

_Instead of telling, I wanted to show Wanda where I had grown up, what my world was before…well, before. _

_I glanced at Wanda's face only to see that she was watching my expression carefully. I internally sighed. As much as I wanted to stick to the original raid plan, I knew arguing with Burns would just make Wanda upset, which would be my last intention. However, that didn't mean I was going to stop other people from arguing for me._

"_What does Melanie have to say about this? And Jared?"_

"_Jared is still undecided, and Mel doesn't know yet. When I found out, I immediately came to find you," was her reply._

_Excellent. Mel wouldn't let this alien take matters into his own hands. I smiled down at Wanda and took her small hand in my own. "Well let's go see what she has to say." _

_Wanda smiled back. "I'm sure whatever it is she'll agree with Burns." _

* * *

"_Absolutely not."_

_Good old Melanie. I knew I liked her for a reason._

"_Who does he think he is? He can't just come in here and change our plans," she continued._

_I stepped forward. "Finally someone is talking sense!"_

"_Ian, we already know your opinion, there's no reason to repeat yourself." I just gave Andy a glare and walked over to stand next to Wanda. She grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers, giving them a gentle squeeze. _

"_We had planned to go north for weeks," Mel continued. "We had every stop mapped out, every detail planned, with no stone unturned." She turned to Jared. "We are packed and ready for the cold, therefore we are going to the cold. If Burns doesn't have the right clothing or supplies, then I guess he shouldn't come at all."_

_I really had to remember to hug Melanie later._

_The brunette turned to Wanda. "Besides, Wanda wanted to see the north." All eyes were suddenly on Wanda and I could feel here sink closer to the wall._

"_We don't have to go north on my account. If it's safer to go east, then I want to go there."_

"_Love, you're a horrible liar," I murmured into her hair. She tilted her head up to look into my eyes. _

"_I'm serious Ian. I've never been to the east either, and I'm pretty sure any part of the east coast is cooler than the Arizona desert." She turned to face the group. "Burns is confident in his ability to navigate. He wants to help us, and if it protects all the people in this room, then I'm willing to let him."_

_I had to bite back a growl. I knew it wasn't in Wanda's nature to distrust people, especially her own species, but I didn't trust him. Some small voice in the back of my mind was telling me he was a decent person and _not _an arrogant son of a bitch, however one thought of him caressing Wanda's cheek quickly silenced it. Still…_

"_Why?" I asked her. She looked up at me and I almost cracked when I saw her guilty and questioning expression. However, I kept talking, this time to the group. "We've been on plenty of raids and haven't had any casualties in a long time. This also isn't Jared's or Andy's first time going north." I turned to face Jared. "My vote is we go our original course."_

_Brandt spoke up for the first time. "Regardless of those odds, I still say we go with Burns' plan. So what if we have to repack or reevaluate," he turned to look at Melanie as he said this. She shot a look at him and he quickly turned away, this time looking at the soul standing next to me._

"_And no offense Wanda, but Burns has been living with humans a lot longer than you have. He's been on countless raids with all different groups. As far as field experience goes, he's the best."_

_I didn't even have to look at Wanda to know this small piece of advice hurt her. Helping on raids was the only thing that she seemed to think she was good at. Did she feel like Burns had somehow replaced her?_

"_Exactly how long has he been with Nate?" asked Andy._

"_Five years. Pretty interesting story. You should ask him about it some time." I saw his gaze quickly dart to my direction and rolled my eyes._

"_I don't care if he's been with humans since the first day of the invasion, I still say we stick to our original plan," Mel paused. "Without Burns."_

"_We'll be safer if we go with Burns."_

"_No we won't, we'll be stupid if we go with Burns." _

"_I say _go_."_

"_I say _no_."_

"_Who do you think you ar-"_

_Jared cleared his throat loudly. Without a doubt I knew his decision would dictate where our destination would be: north or east. He was the leader of the raid, making it his call. He was standing with his arms crossed across his chest, staring hard at a spot against the wall._

"_Considering everything that's been said, I think we should go with Burns to the east."_

_I let out a hard sigh just as Melanie rounded on Jared._

"_Are you crazy? It was your idea to go north in the first place!"_

"_Mel, honey, the odds of a safe return are increased if Burns goes with us."_

"_We have you with us, plus four other perfectly capable people. I'm failing to see how going somewhere else will be any different."_

"_We're going to east, and that's final. We leave in one hour." He added in a softer tone, "I'm sorry." I could have sworn he was looking at me when he said that._

_Melanie straightened her back and looked Jared square in the eye._

"_Fine," was all she said, and promptly left the room._

_Jared looked at the spot she had just been. "Dammit," he said before going after her._

_Wanda turned to face me. "Are you ok?"_

_I looked down at her, letting out a sigh. "Are you ok?"_

_She paused before answering. "Yes."_

"_Then I'm ok. " She regarded with me with a skeptical expression._

"_I am, I promise." She smiled and stood on her toes to give me a quick peck. _

"_I'm going to go add some clothes to our backpacks. I'll see you in a few."_

_I turned to help Andy pack up some supplies, letting my feet drag. I was a grown man, and I knew I could handle Burns for a few weeks. I loved Wanda, and Wanda loved me, and there was nothing I should be worried about. Another image of Wanda and Burns' first meeting flashed into my mind and I grit my teeth. As long as he didn't get to drive, then I'd be fine. Wanda and I always drove in the front at the start of a raid. At least I hoped my position in that scenario wasn't in jeopardy… _

* * *

My mind was brought back to the present by someone bumping into my shoulder. Speak of the devil, and he may appear; it was Burns. And Andy had been gracious enough to let him sit next to me.

This day was just getting better and better.

Just six more hours of this God-forsaken car ride, then we could stop for the night, and then I could sit next to Wanda as much as I wanted.

The end of the day couldn't get here fast enough.

* * *

OH MY GOODNESS I ACTUALLY UPDATED! Amazing! AND I CHANGED THE POV. Even more amazing! I'm so, so, so, so sorry for the delay in this update…midterms, papers, family stuff, Thanksgiving, more family stuff, finals, now the holidays… it's like a never-ending parade of unwanted distractions. I wanted to give you something before the holidays got too much in the way. Hopefully I'll update once more before Christmas now that school is out for break, but we'll see…

So Ian…woohoo! During _Host_ I always wanted to know what was going on inside Ian's head, so I thought I'd try and write something from his perspective. There's also later parts in the story I've written that are all about him and in his perspective, so it was gonna happen eventually anyways.

**BIG, GIGANTIC AND GARGANTUAN THANK YOU'S FOR REVIEWING TO: Jynxiii, Shocking Pinx, Eminnis (and Alicia), Minna Haisam, .idea, red 81, sophiesix, Amy-Laura18, kimmitwilight, RawSugarX23 and TeamIanandEdward**

**You all are amazing and I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for reviewing. Seriously, you made me smile with love every time I read what you had to say ^_^ **


	4. Chapter 4

**A HUGE thank you to padfootsimine for reading this and giving feedback. Padfoot, you are the milk to my Oreo and the diet to my Pepsi. Soul mates for life 3**

* * *

It was dark outside when Jared announced, "We're here."

His words were more than a little welcome. Sharing breathing space with a person who obviously had problems with you was not the best experience I had ever had.

While everyone began grabbing their various accoutrements, I looked around at the familiar landscape. Yes, the Hiway House Motel had changed little over the years. It looked exactly as I remember it when Nate and I had stayed here a few years back. It was located on the eastern side of Albuquerque, and the lodgings were comfortable.

I turned back to the rest of the group. I had to keep from rolling my eyes. Not even five seconds had passed and Ian already had Wanda back in his arms. He had just whispered something in her ear and she released a small giggle, looking up at him with a look of complete adoration. Well that just wasn't right.

"I'll go check us in," I announced. "Wanda," I said pointedly, "do you want to come along?" Wanda look at me, then turned back to the group hesitantly.

"I don't know, I should really help unload everything-"

"Oh Wanda, just go with Burns. Ian always carries everything for you anyways," Andy interjected. I gave a small, encouraging smile to Wanda. She looked at Ian, and he gave a small shrug, already turning his back to unload more luggage. Still looking slightly hesitant, she began walking with me to the lobby, located on the opposite side of the parking lot.

"Thank God that drive is over," I said. "It was more than a little cramped in the back."

"I've always liked car rides, although you're right, that was long. It was nice talking to Mel, though. We rarely have time to talk these days."

"It's amazing you and her can be such good friends, given your… situation."

Wanda glanced around the parking lot, searching for anyone who might overhear. She needn't have bother; I had already scanned the area before we even started walking. Seeming satisfied, she answered, "Mel and I are as close as two sisters can be. She was the only friend I had when I first found Jeb and the others."

I stared at her from the corner of my eye. "They didn't respond to your presence with enthusiasm, I take it." I could only imagine; there had been more than a few attempts to kill me whenever Nate would find another human cell. Nate himself nearly shot me when I first found him.

There was a pause before she answered. "Some people's reactions were stronger than others'."

For some reason, I felt that was a severe understatement. A hint of smile began at the corners of her mouth. "Mel used to resent me too, but we eventually warmed up to each other." Again, there seemed to be a lot more to the story than she was telling.

"But surely Ian must have accepted you. You're both practically attached at the hip." I was proud of myself for saying that with as little resentment as possible.

There was a significantly longer pause before she answered, and she actually paused in our pursuit to the lobby. She seemed to thinking about something far away, and I somehow knew she wasn't going to tell me what it was. "Ian is my future, as is every single person in those caves, even Maggie and Sharon," she added with a smile. "I still sometimes wonder at how fortunate I am to be accepted within our little group of humanity. I have no doubts that I chose the right planet for my final life."

She looked towards me the same time she started walking again, this time at a faster pace. "Were you ever able to hear your host? Or were you affected by his memories as Sunny was?"

This time it was my turn to pause before answering. No, my original human had never talked to me, and I was certain the man originally known as Cole Ingram was permanently erased from this world. No thanks to my doing.

Of course she would ask the one question I was unwilling to answer. And in a parking lot no less.

Where would I even start? We had talked about the Singing and Flower planets in the car, as well as myriad of other things. Brandt and Andy had even asked about how I was involved with humans, and I had offered some information at the time. But how could I even begin to tell her about my life before Earth, about who I was before touched by humanity? How could I explain about the Walking Flowers, the first day I was inserted into my host, the first day I actually started living a life I had originally destroyed…about Scorching Rivers.

"No, I had a different experience entirely." I could not say more than that, for we had reached the doors of the lobby. It was obvious Wanda wanted to know more.

"We'll talk later," I whispered in her ear as we walked up to the receptionist.

"Hello," the attractive woman behind the desk said. "How are you doing today?"

"My partner, Floating Petals, and I just arrived from Flagstaff. We're just stopping for the night." When Wanda smiled at the receptionist, I wondered how anyone could possibly not think of her as anything but beautiful. The sincerity of her soul shone through her eyes; it took my breath away every time. Too bad she was already looking at the wrong man.

She looked between the two of us, a look of genuine concern crossing over her features. "I hope your drive was not too taxing." She paused to look down at her computer. "You will be in rooms 178 and 1710. Please let me know if I can help you with anything else. Our groundskeeper, Moon Shining Through the Leaves, is only a phone call away. He is always happy to assist our guests."

Of course, nothing but happiness and kindness from a soul. Typical.

"Thank you so much," Wanda said with a smile as she took our room key. It was discussed back in the caves that Wanda and I would be each other's 'partners'. Since souls didn't have a definition for siblings, and it was rare for souls to introduce themselves as 'husband and wife', Wanda and I would simply introduce ourselves as partners. We were both confident that no one would question our affiliation with one another.

Once we left the air conditioning of the lobby, Wanda looked up to me. "I want to hear more about your story later. I'm sure everyone else would love to hear it, too," she said with a smile as she practically started skipping across the parking. No doubt she wanted to help carry all that she could. I went at a slightly slower pace, recalling my conversation with Wanda.

I looked back to the group, noticing that Mel had parked the van in an excellent location. You couldn't see anything from the lobby window, and since we were parked in the back, no one could see us from their rooms. I had to hand it to this group of humans: they knew what they were doing. No wonder their number was the largest; their leadership and survival skills were the best I had seen in awhile. Although my original intention for joining them was to spend more time with Wanda, and eventually show her who she should really be spending her life with, I had grown fond of Jeb's cave dwellers. Despite Ian's obvious distaste, I knew he was a caring man; the way he fawned over Wanda was proof enough. They were a good group of people, who by working together made the most of their dire situation, proving once again the wonderfulness of the human race.

As I reached the van, I felt a twinge of fear in my heart. I was almost afraid to see their faces, especially Wanda's, when I told them it was my fault their species were all but extinct.

* * *

A/N

See, Burns isn't _that_ bad. Sorry for all the POV changes…I promise I'll stick mainly to Wanda, Ian and Burns, maybe a few others. Next up should be Wanda, since we haven't heard from her in awhile :]

My apologies for the lateness of this chapter :[ I suffered from severe writer's block for quite a while, which is NOT a good thing when you're taking one writing class and two other writing based classes in college. I know this chapter isn't very long, but I needed to just get rid of it lest I obsess over it any longer. The next chapter will be longer, I promise!

BTW, Hiway House Motel is an actual place in east Albuquerque…I googled it and everything. I even looked up how long it would take to get from the west of Arizona to Albuquerque, just to see how long their ride would have been. Because I'm weird like that.

I've literally rewritten this chapter maybe three times, and I still feel like I don't have it right. Tell me what you think…

**A HUGE, BIG, GARGANTUAN THANKS TO Ruth, Twilighternproud, colourfulchatterbox, gretlcascade, silverlight496, padfootsmine, Sierra154845, Ianosheaismine, LBB5, Moxie Michelle Cullen, Isabella, smileysgoboing, red 81, mandariini, Brown-eyed Wolf, , XxXxSlytherinPrincessxXxX, Shocking Pinx, RawSugarX23, TeamIanandEdward, Eminnis (and Alicia), NandinhaMa, and Kimmitwilight**

**You all are the best and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reviewing :] **

**gretlcascade, I HAVN'T FORGOTTEN YOU!!! I will read it soon, I promise! 333**


	5. Chapter 5

_I was walking through a field of flowers. The sky was a clear blue, the sun was shining, and I had Ian's hand in mine. An inane sense of peace hugged my heart, and I knew that life could not be better than at this moment._

_I turned to the man next to me. "Ian, isn't it beautiful here?"_

"_Yes, it is," he replied, but when I turned to face him I saw he was staring directly at my face. When he gave me the smile that never failed to make my heart melt, I looped my arms around his neck, nuzzling into his chest. He placed his arms firmly around my slight frame, holding me there. We both sighed in contentment at the feeling. _

_I turned my face upwards and gave him a long leisurely kiss. After several moments, he pulled away and pressed my head back to his chest. He then began stroking my hair._

_I couldn't suppress a groan of appreciation. "No fair."_

"_What?" he asked innocently._

"_You know I get sleepy whenever you play with my hair." _

"_You want to fall asleep already? Is my presence really that boring?"_

_I smiled against his shirt. "You know I love spending time with you. Nothing you do or say could ever bore me." He placed a kiss on the top of my head, letting his lips rest there as he took a deep breath._

"_My favorite place in the world is right where I'm standing," he said softly._

_Again, the feelings of peace, contentment and love gave my heart another squeeze._

_After what seemed liked ages of simply holding each other, he began to slowly pull away until he held me at arm's-length._

"_Wanda, I have something to tell you."_

_I stared at him in confusion. "What?"_

"_Wanda, I'm going away."_

_For a minute, I thought he was joking and started giggling. But when I tried moving into his embrace once more, he gripped my shoulders tighter and held me in place. That's when the claws of fear began to scratch my heart._

"_Ian? What's going on?"_

"_I'm leaving you Wanda."_

_I looked at him with incredulity, then incomprehension. "I don't understand! Ian, why do you have to go?"_

"_I'm leaving."_

"_Ian, tell me what's wrong!"_

"_Good-bye, my Wanderer," he said gently, placing a ghost of kiss on my forehead. As I looked up, I saw that the sky overhead turned grey and dark, and the flowers that once surrounded us began to wither and die. I turned back to face Ian, only to see his retreating back in the distance._

"_Ian!" I screamed. I tried running after him, but my legs suddenly felt like they were running in quicksand. I tried screaming for him to stop, but his figure kept slipping farther and farther away. I reached my hand out to him, willing him with all my might to stop and turn and around, to come back to me. Something felt like it had died in my chest, and I knew if he did not turn around, I would eventually die, too._

"_Ian, Ian, Ian!" I screamed. Tears were running down my face, and I felt more than saw my entire life cave in on itself._

"_Wanda! Wanda!" someone was yelling._

_Someone suddenly grabbed me from behind, and I immediately began fighting them off. No one was going stop me from going after Ian._

"_Wanda! Honey, wake up!"_

I awoke with a start, tears streaming down my face, my arms reaching for something in the air. Ian's eyes swam into view, his concern apparent on his face.

"Ian?" I asked through my tears.

"I'm right here, love," he said with his hand upon my shoulder. "You were having a nightmare."

Upon the mention of my dream, I flung myself into Ian's arms, needing the reassurance of his embrace. His arms closed tightly around me, and he started calm, soothing circles up and down my back. I pressed my face into his shirt, breathing in his scent.

"Tell me what happened, Wanda," Ian said in a gentle voice.

I thought back to the dream. "It seemed so real." He felt him nod against the top of my head. I still hadn't let go of his shirt. He continued to run soft, reassuring circles on my back.

"We were in a field of flowers, holding each other. Then you said you had something to tell me." I took a deep breath before saying in a small voice," You said you were leaving me."

I heard him suck in a breath, and he stopped rubbing my back. He gently pulled away so he could look me in the face. I kept talking before he could say anything, looking at my hands the entire time.

"I tried running after you, but I couldn't. You kept walking farther and farther, and I kept running slower and slower. I thought-" I took another shuddering breath, trying not to start crying again. "It felt like I was losing you."

Ian put his fingers under my chin, forcing me to look in his eyes. He looked at me straight in the eye.

"I love you. Do you understand that? I love you more than I love anyone else. I need you more than the next breath in my body, and I will _never_ leave you."

A tear slowly leaked down my cheek, and he kissed it away. "_You_ are my life, Wanda. Do not ever doubt that."

I slowly nodded and leaned towards him for a kiss. As we lay back down to go to sleep, I kept my body intertwined with his, never letting an inch of space come between us. I knew Ian meant every word he had said.

I knew I felt the same way about him.

However, the vividness of the dream would not leave my mind.

It was only when Ian started stroking my hair that I was able to again find sleep.

* * *

Luckily, Ian and I were the only witnesses to the previous night's commotion. We both had stayed in room 178, while Mel and Jared shared 1710. Andy, Brandt and Burns all had slept in the van. Although I suggested the three could divide themselves between the two rooms, Ian and Jared seemed particularly keen on the three men sleeping in the van. Secretly, I supposed I was slightly relieved. Ian and I rarely got to spend time alone, and I realized it was the first time we had ever shared a real bed, something not on a rocky, sandy floor. I knew Ian was just as happy we were able to spend the time together.

The single downfall to the sleeping arrangements was listening to Andy and Brandt complain about the pains in their backs. Burns, thankfully, had remained silent about the discomfort brought on by the sleeping arrangements.

I promised the three car-sleepers that the next motel we stopped at, Ian and I would sleep in the van with one of them.

This morning, Ian was behind the wheel and I was in the front seat. I always loved driving next to Ian. Even if we weren't talking, there always seemed to be a connection between the two of us that didn't need to be put into words. An added benefit was he had found my hand and was rubbing the back of it with his thumb, allowing small tingles to run up and down my arm. I could tell today was going to be a much more enjoyable car ride.

Jared and Burns were talking, already planning the remainder of the raid. They were intensely staring at a map spread out on Burns' knees. Burns was talking adamantly, Jared was nodding in agreement and Melanie looked bored out of her mind. She eventually closed her eyes and leaned against Jared's side. He subtly took her hand and intertwined their fingers.

"We should reach Dallas by nightfall, although if we keep driving we could turn northeast and head up through Little Rock, Arkansas," Burns said.

Jared listened to this with a placid expression and nodded his head. "Where is the next resting point after that?"

"Nashville. After that, we can head into the Appalachians. Nate and I were able to hide a truck in the Cumberland Gap a while back. I talked with him before coming to you caves, and he said it should still be there. We can pick it up, then head Northeast."

Jared gave a slight nod. Melanie, however, sat up.

"Wait, wait. Where is the truck?" she asked.

"The Cumberland Gap."

Mel continued to give him a blank stare. Burns continued. "It was used by human Native Americans to travel across the mountains, and centuries later humans in America used it to travel and expand across the country."

Melanie still looked skeptical. "And where exactly is this located?"

"In between Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia."

Melanie just looked at him, then to Jared, then back to Burns. "How do you even know that?"

Burns shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't know it. My host did. He took a geography class in college."

"Oh," Mel said. "What was your host's name?"

"Cole Ingram."

"Where was he from?"

Burns looked a little uncomfortable, but answered Mel's question anyway. I had to admit, I was interested. He never did finish his story about how he had 'gone native'.

"Cole Ingram was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After living for a while in California and going to college, he settled in a small town in New Hampshire and never left."

Melanie still wasn't done with her questions. "So how did you meet Nate?"

I could tell this wasn't Burns favorite discussion, but he kept on talking. Maybe he thought if he kept answering her questions, Melanie would stop asking them. How wrong he was.

I could tell Ian was listening too, but he never stopped stroking my hand.

"Nate and I met about five years ago, in Rochester, New York. He actually broke into my house looking for supplies, not knowing I was home." Burns let a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "Nearly gave me a heart attack."

By this time, he had the attention of the entire car, although I was pretty sure Andy and Brandt had already heard this story once before.

"Nate held an actual knife to my throat and said 'make a sound and you die.'" I saw Melanie and Jared share a smile, and Jared gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before they once again turned their attention to Burns.

"By the time Nate paid me an unexpected visit, I was already questioning the life of a soul. I had been for a while." He paused before continuing. "I had a hell of time convincing him that I was not a Seeker, and even more that I would not turn him over to one. We talked the entire night, and by morning, we had reached an agreement. He could stay with me as long as we deemed safe, and he in turn would teach me about humans, how he survived, how had remained alive. He had two companions with him at the time, Tori and Kelsey Miller."

At their names, he actually smiled. "Living with those two was nothing but hysterical. It took a lot less to convince them I was on their side than it did Nate." By this time, I was fully turned around in my chair, smiling right along with Burns. I could relate on a different level; I knew what it felt like to witness how amazing and how completely ridiculously funny humans could be.

"My house was partly secluded, but still part of a small community. It was easy for Nate, Tori and Kelsey to stay with me. Those were possibly the best six months of my life." Burns then turned to me, and smiled. I didn't comment when I felt Ian's thumb stop against my palm.

Jared asked, "So why did you ever leave?"

Burns to look back at him. "Seekers started showing up in town. Although my house was quite a ways from any central city, Nate and I both felt it was time to leave. The three of them said they would understand if I wanted to stay; they trusted me to not say anything to the Seekers. But I refused. After spending barely half a year with only three humans, I was convinced that whatever was left of humanity needed to be saved."

I couldn't help but smile at him. "I completely agree," I added. When I turned around to again face forward, I was still smiling. I could see Ian looking at me out of the corner of his eye. I gave his hand a squeeze leaned across to kiss him on the check. When he gave me a questioning look, I merely shrugged.

Mel was again leaning against Jared, looking completely disinterested. "What a fascinating story," was her only remark.

I nearly giggled. Of course Melanie would act as if she didn't care. Although she hadn't said anything to me, I could tell she didn't like Burns Living Flowers.

She spoke again, this time addressing Jared. "So where are we going?"

Jared looked across the space at Burns and then down at the map. "I think if we can get to the outskirts of Little Rock then we should do it." He turned to the front. "Ian, are you good for driving right now?"

Ian looked at me then smiled. "Sure am."

"Just tell us when you need to switch with someone. We need to get there hopefully before dawn."

I rested my head against the window, slowly being lulled to sleep by the sound of the van's engine. From the look on Mel's face, I knew she would be asleep soon too. The last thing I remembered before I fell asleep was Ian's thumb once again drawing tiny patterns on the back of my hand.

* * *

A/N

Well, this is the product of a six hour long train ride where absolutely nothing exciting happened. I definitely drew from some real life experiences in this chapter, so WOOT! Also, Google Maps is my new favorite website. And the Cumberland Gap is indeed a real place and Burns' description is historically accurate…at least now I know Geography 150 was good for something :]

I felt really bad about the shortness of the chapter I posted a few days ago, so I wrote this as an apology. Hope you all like it! This will be the last post for a few weeks :[ I'm in the midst of midterms, and since I'm on the quarter system finals are only four weeks away. Oh joy.

Random thought of the day: have any of you seen the _Very Harry Potter Musical_? Because frankly I'm more than a little obsessed with it, and I strongly suggest you go find it on youtube right now!

Love you all!!!! **Please review** :]


	6. Chapter 6

HELLO!

Is there anyone still reading this story? If there are, thank you so much for the bottom of my heart! Although it's been almost two years (because yes, I'm that pathetic at updating), I still am dedicated to this story!

**jfriendin****, ****Rainbowed-Sunned-Spirit****, Anonymousm1001, ****, fall4u, ****Lisbry****, ****padfootsmine****, ****red 81****, ****colourfulchatterbox****, ****sapphirenight12****, ****NicoleBelikovOzera****, ****Sillla****, ****Eminnis****, ****Moxie Michelle Cullen****: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! **

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_Jared looked across the space at Burns and then down at the map. "I think if we can get to the outskirts of Little Rock then we should do it." He turned to the front. "Ian, are you good for driving right now?"_

_Ian looked at me then smiled. "Sure am."_

"_Just tell us when you need to switch with someone. We need to get there hopefully before dawn."_

_I rested my head against the window, slowly being lulled to sleep by the sound of the van's engine. From the look on Mel's face, I knew she would be asleep soon too. The last thing I remembered before I fell asleep was Ian's thumb once again drawing tiny patterns on the back of my hand._

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**Burns' POV**

Although Wanderer had fallen asleep, Ian still had not let go of her hand. I tried to not let it bother me, but I couldn't help glancing at their intertwined fingers every five seconds. Why did it trouble me so much that they were together? Why was I the only one who could see that Ian was being completely irrational by feeling attached to Wanda?

A soul simply could not love a human.

It did not take a fool to see that Wanda was completely enamored with him. Although I did not understand her reasoning, I knew from personal experience it was in a soul's nature to make others secure and content. If someone was suffering, Wanda would want to stop it immediately, even at the cost of her own happiness. After awhile, if she put such an emphasis on someone's happiness, in this instance Ian's, she could start to confuse the feeling of contentment she found through someone else's happiness with the actual feeling of love. Therefore, I could not blame her if she thought she was in love with him.

Ian was another story.

Unlike Wanda, who I knew to be unconditionally kind and affectionate, Ian was human. Selfishness was an inescapable, inseparable and completely predictable characteristic of being human, particularly with males. I may have accepted humans as my family, but I could never understand their necessity for such negative emotions as hate, and their implementation of violence. How could Ian not see how his grasp on Wanda's emotions was keeping her from finding true happiness?

A week ago there was no possibility she could be with her own species.

But now, she had me. And I had her.

I knew I could not force Wanda apart from Ian. Her physical and emotional attraction to him seemed deep, despite its foundation on irrationality. Also, as much as I longed for her to see the irrelevancy of her attachment to Ian, I knew I could never intentionally hurt her. Or him, for that matter. By this time I was quite used to the emotions of jealousy, annoyance and resentment; however I knew I could never use violence willfully against a human. The thought actually made me cringe. Therefore, I decided that if I could not separate her from Ian by force, I would merely have to show her how being apart from Ian would make her happier. I would get as close to her as possible, then make her see how being with a soul was far easier and more peaceful then spending the rest of your life with a human. I was positive that once we were together I could convince her that being with her own kind was better than being with any human. Especially Ian.

I was brought back to reality by a sharp kick to my shin. Only then did I realize that I had been lost in my own thoughts, blankly staring at the back of Wanda's head in the front seat. I turned to see what had caused the aching in my leg, and was led straight into the hard stare of Melanie Stryder.

"Sorry," she said in possibly the least convincing voice I had ever heard.

I quickly glanced forward again to the front seat just in time to see Ian staring at me in the rearview mirror. I was not a mind reader, but I sure knew a loathsome, borderline scary expression when I saw it.

Despite any ill feelings I may have towards the man, now was not the time to get into an argument. If I wanted these people to let me stay with them once I was with Wanda, then I needed to not cause any undue, controversial feelings. Getting closer to these people was my main motivation in sharing details about my past. Not too many, but enough to start invoking the trust of Andy, Brandt and Jared.

I looked back at Melanie, who had gone back to feigning sleep, resting against Jared's shoulder. Yeah, I didn't expect to be gaining her trust any time soon.

I could practically hear Scorching River's voice in my head. "Patience, Burns, is an undying and unequivocal skill to have, no matter which species you decide to take."

As I turned my head back to the map, I wished more than anything that she was still here to give me advice.

But then again, maybe I wouldn't want her here. I know she would never forgive me for my past actions here on Earth.

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The three lucky people in the van that night were myself, Jared, and my number one fan, Melanie.

Ian had insisted Wanda needed a bed that night since she had not slept well the night before. Even though it had taken both Ian and Mel literally thirty minutes to convince Wanda she was indeed not inconveniencing anyone, I could tell my fellow soul really did need the extra sleep. Her fragile, slight frame seemed to droop as we had checked into the motel earlier that night.

Staring up at the van's ceiling, I took a mental evaluation of where my relationship with Wanda was. Obviously, Ian was an obstacle. He would not let her out of his sight.

Once.

Ever.

It was like he was particularly attuned to her every thought, move and emotion.

It was uncanny. The man was reaching for a tissue before Wanda even sneezed, opening his arms before she even gave any indication she was going to hug him, and turning towards the door seconds before she even appeared.

Although these particular facts made my resentment towards the man increase marginally, I easily reigned in my emotions. In the long run, I hoped to befriend this man, to live in the same space as him. I did not want him to feel as if I meant him bodily harm.

Keeping this peace was my main priority. It was even my unofficial role in Nate's family. Whenever there was a disturbance or a dispute, I was called in.

Coming from a species whose very nature was to avoid confrontation and avoid social disruption, I gladly helped keep the peace among the natives, so to speak. I loathed when any member of my family fought, and was more than willing to try to smooth over an ill will.

The thought almost made my smile. I could just hear the residents of our group now:

'_Oh, Tori and Kelsey are fighting again? Go get Burns, he'll know what to do_.'

'_What's that? Ben and Gabe are arguing over who gets which new pair of pants? Send in Burns, they listen to him_.'

'_Burns! Who do you agree with more? Me, or Julia? Don't you think it's my turn to dry, and hers to wash?'_

Yes, I was decidedly the peace maker in my small human family, and I could not be happier with my role in the unconventional familial structure.

If I could keep the peace in my family, then I could certainly manage to get along with everyone in Jeb's, particularly the participants of this raid. The only real question was how not to piss Ian off too severely while still allowing Wanda time to adjust to the idea of a new partner.

Only time could tell.

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I know that not a lot happened, but I promise that next chapter we'll see Ian's POV again.

Please review!

xoxoxo


	7. Chapter 7

**BIG, HUMUNGOUS, AMAZING THANK YOUS TO:**

lovley ladybug, Fu Fu's the name, Moxie Michelle Cullen, Barbiegirl2435, and Twilighternproud **FOR REVIEWING!**

Enjoy!

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**Ian's POV**

Although I didn't like the man, Burns definitely knew how to lead a raid.

He knew every single city from Nashville, Tennessee to Augusta, Maine. He knew which stores to raid and which towns to avoid. He knew which hospitals wouldn't notice a few bottles of Heal missing and which clinics would have the newest, fast-acting pain killers. He knew the exact address of every motel in the state of Massachusetts, and was even able to give us a small guided tour of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Although I was still slightly bitter that we had changed our raiding plans at the last minute, everyone could see that taking the Northeast route had been the better choice. Burns wasn't lying when he said he knew his way around this area. I admitted to myself that any resentment I had was completely selfish; there would be more raids, with more opportunities to show Wanda where I had been raised. I refused to hold a grudge because my personal plans were thwarted.

After the first week, I could tell Jeb and Jared had been right: two souls were better than one. We now had twice the amount of supplies in only half the time. Luckily, Nate had indeed hid a truck in the who-gives-a-shit-what-you-call-it Gap, so we were able to store all the extra supplies wherever we went in the large, moving-sized truck. At this rate, we would be able to return home within one month of our departure, a new record for a raid of this size.

It was quickly becoming one of our most successful.

And I hated nearly every minute of it.

Every day Burns and Wanda would drive off in the van, going out to gather supplies at some new location. I would be left at the truck or in the motel room with Jared, Melanie, Andy and Brandt. It was during these long periods of time were I was overcome with boredom or wracked with worry. I always worried when Wanda went somewhere without me.

And it did _not_ help that she was with Burns.

They would return hours later with a trunk full of food, medical supplies and clothes. I think Wanda could tell how much it hurt to be apart from her, for the first thing she would do every day was open the door before the car had even stopped and jump into my waiting arms. I don't think she understood how much that simple act meant to me.

In the hours I spent waiting for Wanda and Burns to return, I would often think about how close they had grown to each other, and how they were experiencing something that was unique only to them. They both were 'rogue souls', living with us beastly humans after renouncing their entire species.

Out of all the things Wanda and I shared, I could never share that with her. I could never share the understanding of the journey that had led her Earth, and then ultimately to Jeb and the caves. She had lived entire other lives on different planets. Although I understood she came with history and wisdom only obtained through lifetimes of experiences, I couldn't possibly imagine the sights she'd seen, or the number of lives she had touched.

And there was another problem.

I know she never spoke of it, and I know she lived with no regrets, but she still placed significant blame on herself for betraying the souls and showing us the secret of dislocating a soul from a body. There would be times when she would try to explain something from a planet she had lived on, and it made absolutely no sense to me. Although she tried to hide it, I could tell she was sometimes disappointed that no one seemed to understand her thoughts or accept her point of view.

As much as it killed me, the more time she spent with Burns, the better off she would be. Each week they seemed to grow closer and closer, every raid creating another shared experience to tell the rest of us about that very same night. During these times, I would always remain quiet, letting them share their world and the stories that came of it.

To say it was painful would be an understatement.

Melanie could see that it bothered me, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she approached me about it. She finally came up to me when we were stopped in a suburb of Boston, although I hadn't bothered to check what it was called. Wanda and Burns had gone into the city, and would not be back for at least another five hours.

Just breathe deeply and slowly, Ian, I told myself. She'll back before you know it… she _and_ Burns.

Burns Living Flowers. What a creepy name. Who the hell called themselves that anyway? Out of all the names he could have picked, he chose _that_ one?

It was then that I heard Melanie's voice.

"Hello, Sunshine," she greeted. "Don't you look marvelously uncheery and depressed today."

I didn't even look up. "If Jared was out there you'd be doing the exact same thing."

"Yeah, but as far as I know, I don't have a soul who's interested in trying to take him for itself. Unless he's keeping something from me..."

I glanced up at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't." She rolled her eyes, then looked at me seriously. "Ian," she said, "everyone's noticed it." She paused. "Well, everyone except Wanda."

Yeah, I know. My Wanda would never see Burns' advances as anything more than platonic and friendly. Look how long it took for her to figure out I loved her, and even then she had needed the assistance of Melanie. I hoisted myself off the bed of the motel room and thought about how much I didn't want to have this conversation. Maybe I'd go find Andy. We still had a poker game to finish. Loser had to sleep in the van.

However, Melanie wasn't done talking. "She may not know something is wrong with Burns, but she knows something is wrong with you."

I stopped walking, and turned back to look at Mel, noting her raised eyebrow and hard set to her mouth. I'd seen that look before. Better just stay here and listen or else she'd follow me outside and continue her verbal tirade there. Oh joy.

"So, I don't know who you think you're in love with, but you should know by now Wanda is particularly acute to other people's emotions, particularly other people's pain. She can see right through you." I looked down at my shoes, feeling not unlike a small child being lectured by his mother.

She wasn't done.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to see that you're not only hurting yourself, but also Wanda." I mentally cringed. She just had to play that card; everyone knew I'd rather die than put Wanda in pain. "Wanda actually approached me the other night and asked if I thought anything was wrong with you. She can feel you pulling away, and she has no idea why."

Oh boy.

"Now," Mel continued, "you know Burns All Happiness is _not_ my favorite person. However, what has he honestly done to you?" I snapped my head up to look at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'what has he done'? He ceaselessly finds some small excuse to touch Wanda, spends as much time as possibly with her, constantly monopolizes her time so we have absolutely no time to even talk-"

"I know, I know," Mel interrupted, putting her hands up defensively. "However, has he tried to kiss her? Has he harmed you physically? Has he driven off with her and never come back?"

"Well, no-"

"Do you trust Wanda?" I looked at her, slightly taken aback by the question.

"Of course I do."

"Then you need to stop playing the 'woe is me card,', and start realizing that although this man is annoying, there's nothing to worry about." She walked over and put a firm hand on my shoulder. "I promise you, Ian. Nothing and no one will ever take her away from you. She's our Wanda, and she's not going anywhere."

I nodded my head, clinging desperately to the truth of her words.

With a solid nod of her head, Mel removed her hand and smiled at me. "See? That wasn't so bad to sit through." I just remained looking at her. She just kept smiling. "Go find Andy. He said that you and him still needed to finish that game…"

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Later that night, I walked to the motel room with a smile on my face. I hope Andy wouldn't complain too loudly tomorrow morning after sleeping in the van. Again.

As I neared the door to our room, my thoughts drifted to the Soul standing just behind it.

Wanda had not woken up with anymore nightmares, but I could tell she had them. I would go to sleep at night with her wrapped securely in my arms, but just a few hours later she would begin to toss and turn under the covers, a frown would appear on her brow, and an occasional whimper would escape her mouth. I would simply hold her closer and rub her back or stroke her hair; she eventually quieted.

In the morning, she never wanted to talk about what she'd been dreaming.

Some nights I would simply gaze at her sleeping, wondering at the sheer magnitude of how much I loved the woman beneath me. More often than not, Wanda would pass out quickly, exhausted after a full day of traversing the Northeast. When Burns and Wanda did return, she was always needed somewhere else, or by someone else, or we would be driving together in the van or truck with the others. As a result, we hadn't been able to spend time to together, just the two of us.

I missed it more than words could express.

I walked through the door to find Wanda facing the window, her back towards me. She was looking at a brochure she had taken from the lobby of our motel, softly humming to herself. The sun was setting, bathing her features in golden light. The golden highlights of her hair were accentuated by the light, and my next breath suddenly caught in my throat. She was possibly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I needed her with every fiber of my being. The weeks of separation suddenly seemed like years, and I strode across the room with a single purpose: to be with the woman I love.

I came up behind her and snaked my arms around her waist. She immediately relaxed into me, closing the brochure she'd been reading. I kissed her just behind her ear, then again on top of her head, breathing in her scent. She continued humming nonchalantly, and I slowly began swaying in beat with her tune.

I could feel every inch of her pressed again me, and it was impossible to ignore that fire that started just under my skin wherever we touched.

I turned her around in my arms and gave her a slow, languid kiss. She hummed in satisfaction as I pulled away.

"I've been waiting to do that all day," I whispered. She shivered in response.

"I love you," she said before giving me another kiss, this time making it last longer. "I've been waiting to tell you that all day."

"I love you, too," was all I could manage before pressing my lips to hers once again. This time I knew there would be no stopping. She instantly opened her mouth, and my tongue took that as an open invitation. As the moments passed, our kisses grew more fervent, and I slowly backed her against the wall. She groaned and pushed harder against me, slipping her leg between my legs. I put my palm on the back of her leg and hiked her knee up so she was fully straddling me. Doing this definitely did things to both of us, and this time we both groaned at the new contact.

My hands were everywhere, touching wherever I could; her face, her neck, her back. Eventually I plunged my hand into her hair, slanting her mouth so I could kiss her harder. Her hands, previously massaging my shoulders, came up to tangle in my hair, pushing me and as hard as I was pushing her.

It was amazing the air around us didn't go up in flames.

She pulled her mouth away from mine, and I automatically followed. However, the separation was only temporary. She jumped so she could fully straddle my hips. I pushed her harder against the wall, now the only thing supporting her. Just as soon as she was secure, she again attacked my mouth. Not that I was about to go anywhere. She needed me, and I needed her. We hadn't been together since the night we had met Nate and his group, and I obviously wasn't the only one who had missed this.

We needed a bed. Now.

I slid my hands underneath her legs and picked her up, carrying her with ease across the room to the bed. Wanda groaned in appreciation when I finally laid her down and climbed on top of her. She was just beginning to inch her fingers under my shirt when I heard, "Oh, sorry!"

I pulled away almost instantly, but it took a moment for Wanda to orient herself.

"I knocked, but no one answered, and the door wasn't locked…"

When she spoke, her voice was still shaking from our previously shared activities. "It's alright, Burns," Wanda said, slightly out of breath.

Now that I had…calmed down, I was able to think more clearly. I dragged myself off Wanda, standing up to fully confront the man who had been a pain in my ass since I first set eyes on him.

I looked at Burns and caught him glancing at Wanda, and when I turned and looked at her, I was momentarily distracted. Her tank top straps had fallen off her shoulders, leaving no small amount of cleavage showing. Her hair was tousled, leaving nothing to the imagination of what had just transpired, and her once modest skirt was currently covering only part of her thigh. She was obviously embarrassed from being caught, yet she didn't cower away as other women would have done; she wasn't ashamed of her feelings or our actions. Looking down at Wanda, I ready to jump back on top of her and finish what we had started. She looked, well, sexy.

And Burns was currently staring directly at her.

I walked to the foot of the bed, disrupting his obvious perusal of Wanda's figure. Burns turned his attention back to me. Finally.

"Actually, it's not alright," I said with an edge in my voice. "If there wasn't an answer at the door, you should have walked away."

"Jared wanted to discuss something with Wanda," Burns said calmly. When he said her name, he glanced over my shoulder. I clenched my jaw and hardened my gaze.

"And it couldn't have waited ten minutes?" I snapped.

"Ian," Wanda said softly, her small hand grazing my back gently. I took a deep breath and exhaled it loudly. I needed to work on my breathing exercises. I locked with Burns' gaze, and although mine was full of frustration and anger, he continued to regard me coolly.

"It's probably about the raid location tomorrow. I'll go talk with him now." She sat up, quickly adjusted her clothing, and leaned upwards to kiss me on the cheek.

"Later," she whispered, gave me one more kiss, this time on the mouth, then flitted out the door.

I watched her leave, wishing beyond belief that we could have finished what we started, then turned back to Burns. He definitely did not seem happy about Wanda's display of affection, but then his frown turned into a smile.

"Wanda and I are heading into Lewistown tomorrow," he said.

I took a deep calming breath. "I know."

"We should be gone for most of the day."

"I know."

He regarded me with that same cool expression, his eyes never wavering from my face.

"I can tell she loves the Northeast. She was telling me the other day how happy she was that Jared had decided to come here."

If Wanda believed that, she certainly hadn't said anything to me. My right eye started twitching, but I kept myself in check. If I did what I really wanted to do, which was go over and punch the smirk off his face, it would upset Wanda. And that was high on my list of 'Things I Never Want To Do.' Still, my body was having a hard time coming to terms with the logic of my brain.

"It has been a pretty successful raid," I told him instead. "She's happy that no one has gotten hurt."

"That's very true," Burns agreed. He kept looking at me. Just as I was about to excuse myself to go find something else to do other than imagine myself violently attacking the man before me, he said, "You're very lucky, you know."

Somehow, someway, I just _knew_ he was talking about my Wanderer. So I answered him truthfully.

"She's my first thought when I wake up, my last thought before I fall asleep, and the anchor that keeps me grounded in reality." I looked at him pointedly. "So yes, I know how lucky I am."

His eye twitched as he turned to leave the room. "As long as you're aware," he muttered before he softly clicked the door closed.

Now what was _that_ all about?

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	8. Chapter 8

"_She's my first thought when I wake up, my last thought before I fall asleep, and the anchor that keeps me grounded in reality." I looked at him pointedly. "So yes, I know how lucky I am."_

_His eye twitched as he turned to leave the room. "As long as you're aware," he muttered before he softly clicked the door closed._

_Now what was that all about?_

**Wanda's POV**

"You're lying."

I smiled, facing forward, watching the road ahead of us. "Believe me, if I was lying, you'd know," I said.

Burns voice was still full of incredulity. "_You're_ Rides the Beast?"

I nodded, facing him this time. "I'm glad you liked the story. It's one of Jamie's favorites."

"And I can imagine why," Burns said with enthusiasm.

Mentioning Jamie had me thinking about home, back at the caves. The seven of us had been on this raid for a little over a month now, and Burns and I had been able to gather more than enough supplies for our families. I knew Melanie had talked to Jared about heading back to the caves, and I knew that when it came to Jared, Melanie usually got what she asked for.

Which meant it was almost time to go home.

They very thought had me so excited, I had to force myself to not do a dance in my seat. I could see Jamie, laugh with Jeb, chat with Doc, help Lily in the kitchen. In this body, even Sharon and Maggie were tolerable. Yes, I thought with a rueful smile, I even missed Kyle's teasing and callous remarks. Thoughts of the caves immediately infused my chest with a happiness I didn't even think was possible. Home was truly where my heart was.

My attention was again turned to Burns, who still had his mouth open. "I can't believe _you're_ Rides the Beast." He chuckled briefly. "Just wait until I tell my family."

I whipped my head back to look at him again. I couldn't believe it. "You told the story to your group?" I knew that the tale was common in certain regions of the Ice World, but I had no idea it had reached as far as the Fire Planet.

"Oh yes! I first heard the story from a Soul when I had just arrived on Earth. Although her rendition of the story wasn't as good as yours," he said, smiling at me sideways. He then reached over and gently placed his hand on my knee, rubbing his thumb up and down across my leg.

I hardly noticed; I was still trying to digest the information he had just shared. "The story is not that exciting. Any soul in my position would have done the same." Or at least attempted it.

Burns was shaking his head. "Believe me. I've known many, many souls, many of them from the Fire Planet, and none of them have half the courage to do what you did."

Although I had lived on many different planets, I was still slightly taken about by his answer. I could hardly remember any of my fellow souls who had met on other planets; they personalities eventually blended into one another. My species definitely had individualism, Burns and I were proof of that, but it was in our nature to act as one, cohesively social force. However, I had never lived on the Fire World, and was instantly intrigued by Burns' experience on the planet.

"Are most of the souls you're close with here on Earth, or back on Fire?" I asked.

His smile slowly faded, and his hand slowly retreated from its perch on my leg. I could tell that he didn't want to talk about his time in the Fire World, and I immediately felt guilty for bringing up a subject he clearly was not comfortable with. The more I thought about it, the more I realized he rarely talked about his lives off Earth. I was always chatting away about the Flowers, or the Spiders, or the Bats; Burns always seemed content to listen, but rarely share.

I was about to change the subject when he surprised me by saying, "I'm sure most of the souls I came into contact with from that planet have moved on." He stared out the window before continuing. "Most souls choose to move onto another planet after just one lifetime or two on the planet Fire."

Of course this information only flooded my mind with new questions. This was one scenario with which I could not relate with Burns. "Do you remember any of your acquaintances from your old planet?"

He was silent a long time. "There was one," he said quietly.

I waited for him to continue, but he didn't offer any more information. Although I knew I probably shouldn't, I pushed further. "What was his name?"

"It was a her." Burns said, still in a quiet voice. "And her name was Scorching Rivers." I thought I saw his expression briefly cringe with pain, but when I blinked he looked like his normal, pleasant self. His tone, however, had become sad, as if he was recalling a distant, childhood memory. "We would walk together through the fields of flowers, discussing this and that." He turned to look at me then. "She was the closest thing I had to a friend before coming to Earth."

I looked at him excitedly. "You can still remember her, even after all this time spent in a human body."

"Yes," he responded, "quite clearly." He paused, as if he was considering saying something, and then continued, "We actually lived on the Flower World, as well. That's where we met." He never stopped staring at the road in front of him, but his eyes had a far off look.

"We decided to move onto the Fire Planet, and when the opportunity came for both of us to leave together, we jumped at the chance."

I was slightly taken aback by this information. "Were you partners?" I asked, then stumbled over my next thought, trying to find the best way to put it, "…romantically?"

His eyes flicked to my face, and then stared straight back at the rode. "In some ways, yes. Although, I think the attraction was largely one-sided." He looked at me again. "On my part, at least."

I was confused. If he had met someone he wanted to be with, why had he never mentioned her before? Surely she must be back with Nate's group, or maybe with another cell. If they had left one planet together, then they must have come here together. Of course, that particular scenario sent my brain in a thousand different directions of possibilities. I had to ask.

"What happened to her?"

Again, he paused, taking a deep breath. "She...decided to become a mother."

I immediately felt terrible. "Burns, I'm…," I faltered over my words. It was supposed to be a happy decision, when a soul was ready to give up her life for the advancement of our species, but judging by the way Burns looked, happiness was the furthest thing from his mind.

I grasped his forearm between my two small hands. "I'm sorry if her absence causes you pain," I said quietly. I thought about what life would be like without Ian, and my mind immediately went to my recurring nightmare. I shook my head, hoping to erase the unpleasant recollection. "Life would be unbearable if the person you are meant to be with wasn't there to share it with you."

I hadn't realized I'd spoken the words until Burns said, "It's ok, Wanda," some of the gentleness seeping back into his voice. His left hand left the steering wheel briefly to cover my hand on his forearm. "It was a long time ago," he said with a small smile.

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my attention back to Burns. "I'm sorry for bringing it up," I said in a sad voice.

He looked at me in the face, and I knew he took note of the unshed tears in my eyes. "Have you ever lost anyone, Wanderer?"

I still looked at him with concern before coming to rest back in the passenger's seat of the van. I thought back to losing Walt, and then the entire ordeal surrounded Wes's death, almost a year ago now; for some reason I could feel tears prickling just behind my eyes. Losing a friend was possibly one of the most painful experiences I had felt as a human. You were defenseless, powerless, against the forces of nature. One minute someone was there, and the next, they were gone.

"Yes," I said. "Two, actually." I turned to look out the window, concentrating on my barely discernable reflection in the car's window. "The first time was shortly after I found Jeb and everyone. His name was Walt, and he was one of the few who first accepted me in the caves."

Burns was once again staring straight ahead at the road. "How did he die?"

"Doc guessed it was probably cancer." I shuddered. "Burns, it was horrible. For the last two days of his life, Walt thought that I was his wife. She… she disappeared after the invasion."

We were both quiet for a minute before I continued. "And my friend Wes, as well. He was shot by the Seeker who was assigned to me, but I wasn't-"

"Wait, wait," Burns interjected. "You had a Seeker following you?"

I cringed at the sudden harshness in his voice. "Yes," I said calmly, "Once I disappeared, she searched relentlessly for months, and when she finally found our family, she-" I paused to take a deep breath.

"Killed him," Burns finished for me.

I turned my neck to look at him. "Yes," I said in a small voice.

I could tell there were more questions he wanted to ask me, but at the last minute decided against it.

We both stared straight ahead for a few moments, neither one breaking it. Despite everything that had transpired since that time, I couldn't help but think back to those days, when I thought I would have to give my life to save all those who I had come to love.

Of course, my mind wandered to Ian. The thought of leaving him now was almost too unbearable to think about. It was amazing I been able to say goodbye the first time. I knew I wouldn't be able to say it again. I suddenly had an irrationally need to be close to Ian, just to hold his hand. I consoled myself in the fact that we would be back at the motel soon.

Thinking of Ian only made me think of the past few weeks. I knew he was acting different, I knew that it was because he was unhappy. I felt my frown deepen as I considered it further. After I went to Melanie to ask if she noticed anything different with Ian during the day while Burns and I were away, she became annoyed with me very quickly. "You need to talk to him about it," was her only reply. Later that day, waiting for him in our motel room, I was thinking about what I would say to him, how best to approach the subject.

Ian and I very rarely had arguments. We had disagreements, of course, but most of the things we fought about became trivial the moment we started talking. All I had to do was step into his arms to know that everything was going to be ok. How could I remain cross when I'd given my heart to the single most important being in my life?

Most times we didn't even say words; I could tell if he was upset, and he could tell when something was bothering me. A reassuring squeeze, a soothing hand across the back, a gentle hand to the side of the face; more often than not, we resolved our differences within a few hours. Just like the first night we had met Nate and Burns; he was upset, I went to talk to him, and it was resolved quickly.

But this was different. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to ask him what was wrong, since for the first time since falling in love with him, I had no idea what was causing his distress.

Recalling that evening in the motel, I couldn't help but feel my face warm. I had wanted him with a desire that seemed to reach a new level. All I knew was that I loved him with every cell in my body, and for some inexplicable reason, even though he was pressed against every inch of me, I missed him. I realized when he pushed me back against the wall that we had spent very little time alone since the beginning of the raid. When I looked into his blue eyes, the anchors that held me to this planet, all thoughts of discussion were pushed the back of my mind. Somehow, I knew we both needed the same thing, and within seconds we were tumbling backwards towards the bed. Just the thought of it had my whole body feeling warmer.

I felt a twinge of resentment towards Burns for interrupting our evening, but quickly dispelled it. He was there to tell me that Jared needed to discuss the next day's tactics. He couldn't be blamed for trying to be helpful.

One thing was certain though: I needed to talk to Ian.

Tonight I promised myself. But for some reason, I felt the hand of nerves clench itself inside my stomach.

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At exactly 7:16pm, Burns and I parked in our motel's parking lot, this time located in West Seneca, just outside of Buffalo, New York. The minute Burns put the car into park I leapt out of my seat and walked as briskly as possible to the room I hoped Ian would be in.

After my earlier musings in the car, I needed to see him. I couldn't explain it, but just being in the same room with Ian right now, even if we were arguing, would have calmed my apprehensive mood.

I nearly pounded on the door, waiting for it to be opened. Before I could even knock a third time, he opened it. I didn't even wait for him to say hello before throwing myself into his arms. He caught me around my waist and lifted me off my feet, burying his face in between my neck and shoulder. I grasped on for dear life, inhaling a scent I could only describe as pure Ian.

I felt his lips press softly over and over again to my neck, leaving fire in their wake. I let out a happy sigh, and felt Ian's chest vibrate as he hummed in contentment. I slowly pulled away and he gently let me down, but neither one of us broke our physical closeness. His lips moved from my neck to trace my jaw line, up my cheek and then to the corner of my mouth.

We didn't kiss; just being this close to one another was enough for right now.

Our foreheads touched as my breathing became deeper. Every part of my body seemed to be singing and dancing in happiness. Even when I was in Mel's body, and felt Jared's fire, it was nothing like what I feel when I'm with Ian. My skin crawls with that same burning heat, but it goes deeper. It touches _me, _the Soul, not just this body. I don't think I'll ever get used to it.

"Hello," he says in a low voice, sending tingles down my spine.

I smile involuntarily. "Hello," I replied, my lips just a breath away from his.

He placed a feather light kiss on my mouth, and I had to control myself not to follow him when he pulled away a second later.

"I missed you," I said softly. This time when he kissed me it was longer, allowing just enough time for my body to scream at me that I wanted more, but I pulled away again.

I looked into his eyes, and was momentarily speechless. How did he always know how to look at me so I couldn't remember a thing inside my head?

Ian spoke before I could clear my throat.

"Guess what?"

"Hmmm?" I inquired, although I'm momentarily distracted since my gaze has shifted from his eyes to his mouth.

"We're going home."

My gaze immediately shot back to his, and gave a jump of excitement. "When?" I practically squealed.

"Soon," I hear Jared say from behind me.

It's then that I realize Ian and I are not the only people in the room. I quickly turn my body around to see that Jared, Mel and Andy are watching us from the bed on the far side of the room. A blush immediately creeps its way onto my face, but Ian places his hand on my waist and starts stroking his thumb up and down my side. I see him trying to hide a smile, and I make a mental note to ask him what he finds so funny.

I see Melanie smile knowingly at me. "Probably within the next couple days." She gestured outside the door. "Brandt is updating our inventory, but once we have everything accounted for, we can head home."

When our gazes met, I knew we were sharing the same thought: Jamie. We would be back with Jamie in a week, give or take a few days.

This news had me forget my short-lived embarrassment and bounce with joy.

Just then, someone cleared their throat from the doorway. I turned around and saw Burns standing there, a box of pasta and carton of tomato sauce in his arms.

"Am I going to do this all by myself, or-?"

I giggled as I practically skipped out the door. "I'll help," I say automatically.

I heard Ian sigh behind me, and I knew he would follow me. As we unloaded the van, I doubted I could be in a better mood. Ian was happier than I had seen him in weeks, home was on the horizon, and Mel and I were chatting away.

I won't talk to Ian tonight, I told myself. This moment was too perfect to ruin with any tense discussion or potential disagreement. Upsetting Ian was the last thing I wanted to do.

Soon though, I promised myself as I felt Ian's hand gently brush across my back.

Soon.

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It's 2:44am, and I just finished my midterm paper for my Japanese art history class, due exactly 12 hours from now. I decided to celebrate by drinking a beer, eating a cupcake, adding some good quality Ian/Wanda fluff to this chapter, and then updating…

But before anything else happens, BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG THANK YOUS TO:

Momo Cicerone, ASDFGHJKL25, Hanna, itsthedarklord, , Mags, padfootsmine, Educharme, , Vero Diaz, JustJess, kawaiicookie7, CleoCrow, Ian lover, Twilighternproud, yees update, Moxie Michelle Cullen, Barbiegirl2435, and Fu Fu's the name!

Seriously, you all are so awesome for reviewing! Reviews make me happy, and then I turn that happiness into motivation to write, and then I update…It's like one huge, happy process!

I would also like to apologize on how infrequently I update. I know that it's annoying. BELIEVE ME, I know. I'm just beyond honored that you've taken the time to even _consider _reading anything I write! But thank you for sticking with it, and please _please_ remember that I am dedicated to this story. Even if my writing regresses to that of a fifth grader and I finish it when I'm 30, it will be finished!

…don't worry, it won't take till I'm 30 to finish.

On a side note, I'm currently OBSESSED with The Hunger Games. I can now add Peeta Mellark to the list of fictional men I wish were real.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Review please :]


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